The Rt Revd Dr Tim Wambunya has sent this letter. The Bishop of Lichfield, The Rt Revd Dr Michael Ipgrave has made this comment:
“Bishop Tim has willingly and humbly accepted the Archbishop’s rebuke and injunction for his actions in Germany in April of this year. The injunction requires him to receive some additional training which formalises the need I too recognise, and I welcome that and will play whatever part is required in that. Most of all, I am certain that this process allows all of us to move forward, especially Bishop Tim and the communities of the Wolverhampton Episcopal Area. It’s now time to celebrate without inhibition Bishop Tim’s arrival in the diocese next week and to welcome the start of his ministry. He brings many gifts an unmistakeable desire for our communities to encounter the good news of a God who loves them and wants their flourishing.”
Dear Ministry Colleagues and Friends in the Wolverhampton Area,
I greet you with immense joy and anticipation as I prepare to join you as your new bishop. Ever since I felt your warmth and enthusiasm at my appointment, I have been eagerly looking forward to being with you. I hope that you can still find in your hearts that same warmth towards me despite what must have been a degree of shock and confusion for at least some of you following the media report in September about my visit to Germany, when I went there in April to support my former student from Kenya, James Wamare in his new ministry in the Revealed Evangelical Mission. You can read the report in the Church Times here.
I deeply regret my lack of understanding of the polity of the Church within which I am now serving, which is apparent from the media report and I have publicly apologised for my actions. I reiterate that apology now to all of you, offering myself once again to you as your future bishop and in all humility looking for that redemption that Christ can bring out of my contrition and your forgiveness for the sake of the Gospel as together we serve Jesus.
I have accepted by consent, a ‘rebuke’ and an injunction from the Archbishop of Canterbury under the Clergy Discipline Measure process following a complaint brought by the Archdeacon of Canterbury. The injunction requires me to undertake further training, on the polity and nature of the roles and responsibilities of a Bishop within the Church of England and on adherence to the customs and the canons regarding ministering in other Dioceses. The information about this determination will be publicly available shortly on the Church of England webpage where such clergy discipline decisions are posted.
I accept this discipline from my Archbishop contritely but also joyfully as if from God himself who disciplines all whom he loves with infinite mercy and goodness as is his heart.
I particularly regret any anxiety this may have caused concerning my episcopal ministry among you, especially as we prepare to celebrate the beginning of our ministry together. I want to take this opportunity to reassure you that I am deeply committed to the unity of the Church of England, and that I come to you with a strong determination to strengthen that unity across our diversity.
I come to Wolverhampton filled with hope and readiness to serve alongside you under Bishop Michael's leadership as we follow Christ in the footsteps of St Chad. My appointment adds breadth of ethnicity, theology, liturgical style, to the leadership of Lichfield Diocese. This, I believe, will enrich our shared ministry together. I very much look forward to taking my place among the senior leadership of the Diocese and working closely with all my colleagues in our common mission.
I bring a warm pastoral heart and an unwavering commitment to pastoring and caring for our diverse clergy, parishes, and communities. Central to my ministry is a fervent passion for the gospel of Jesus and a steadfast dedication to serving God's people in all their diversity. I am particularly eager to champion that greater diversity within our diocese, ensuring that every voice is heard and every person is valued.
As I begin my tenure next week, I am not just eager, but also excited to get to know each of you better and visit your ministries, to offer you support and encouragement and to discern together where God is at work across the Wolverhampton Area. Together, let us continue to build a vibrant and inclusive community that reflects God's love and grace.
The Rt Revd Dr Tim Wambunya
Bishop-designate of Wolverhampton